Scaffolding or Enabling? Implications of Extended Parental Financial Support into Adulthood

Recent decades have seen tremendous changes in the duration of time that parents offer financial support to their adult children. This paper explores the literature regarding the variations in support, the forces impacting those variations, and the effects of that support on the children\u27s human capital and financial attainment, as well as implications for parents. A case vignette based on an amalgam of case experiences by the authors is provided to explore the relevance of the literature findings to an amalgam financial planning client in the situation of providing financial support to an adult child. Sample interventions are based on the theoretical framework of Bowen’s family systems theory and Archuleta’s Couples and Finances Theory

Molybdenum dioxide in carbon nanoreactors as a catalytic nanosponge for the efficient desulfurization of liquid fuels

The principle of a “catalytic nanosponge” that combines the catalysis of organosulfur oxidation and sequestration of the products from reaction mixtures is demonstrated. Group VI metal oxide nanoparticles (CrOx, MoOx, WOx) are embedded within hollow graphitized carbon nanofibers (GNFs), which act as nanoscale reaction vessels for oxidation reactions used in the decontamination of fuel. When immersed in a model liquid alkane fuel contaminated with organosulfur compounds (benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, dimethyldibenzothiophene), it is found that MoO2@GNF nanoreactors, comprising 30 nm molybdenum dioxide nanoparticles grown within the channel of GNFs, show superior abilities toward oxidative desulfurization (ODS), affording over 98% sulfur removal at only 5.9 mol% catalyst loading. The role of the carbon nanoreactor in MoO2@GNF is to enhance the activity and stability of catalytic centers over at least 5 cycles. Surprisingly, the nanotube cavity can selectively absorb and remove the ODS products (sulfoxides and sulfones) from several model fuel systems. This effect is related to an adsorptive desulfurization (ADS) mechanism, which in combination with ODS within the same material, yields a “catalytic nanosponge” MoO2@GNF. This innovative ODS and ADS synergistic functionality negates the need for a solvent extraction step in fuel desulfurization and produces ultralow sulfur fuel

An Annotated Bibliography of Financial Therapy Research: 2010 to 2018

The purpose of this paper is to expand upon Mentzer, Britt, Samuelson, and Herrera’s (2010) annotated bibliography of research conducted in the field of financial therapy prior to 2010 and provide readers with a current overview of financial therapy research published since that time. Annotated bibliographies are categorized by topics and future research in each area is suggested. In addition, two tables were developed to provide readers a snapshot of the current landscape of financial therapy. The first table provides a list of journals of published articles featuring financial therapy or related topics. The second table provides an overview of types of research, population studies, key topics, as well as highlighting whether theory and financial therapy are overtly referred to within the article

Synthesis of hydroxylated group IV metal oxides inside hollow graphitised carbon nanofibers: nano-sponges and nanoreactors for enhanced decontamination of organophosphates

The confinement and enhanced catalytic properties of hydroxylated group IV metal oxide nanostructures inside hollow graphitised carbon nanofibers (GNF) has been demonstrated. GNF – a structural analogue of carbon nanotubes – were effectively filled with suitable precursor molecules of metal chlorides from the gas and liquid phases. Subsequent basecatalysed hydrolysis afforded amorphous, nanostructured hydroxylated metal oxide (MOx(OH)y where M = Zr, Ti, and Hf) thin films, which coat the internal surfaces of GNF. This versatile and general strategy allows the chemical composition and morphology of the encapsulated material to be modified by varying the conditions used for hydrolysis and post-synthesis thermal treatment. The increased Lewis acidic properties and high surface area of the zirconium composite promote the catalysed hydrolysis of dimethyl nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP) – a toxic organophosphorus chemical. A four-fold enhancement in the rate of DMNP hydrolysis relative to its separate constituent components was observed, highlighting the surprising synergistic abilities of this composite material to perform both as a ‘nano-sponge’, absorbing the harmful compounds inside the GNF, and a nanoreactor, enhancing the local concentration of organophosphate around the hydroxylated metal oxide species, leading to improved catalytic performance

Young and old genetically heterogeneous HET3 mice on a rapamycin diet are glucose intolerant but insulin sensitive

Rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, extends the life span of yeast, worms, flies, and mice. Interventions that promote longevity are often correlated with increased insulin sensitivity, and it therefore is surprising that chronic rapamycin treatment of mice, rats, and humans is associated with insulin resistance (J Am Soc Nephrol., 19, 2008, 1411; Diabetes, 00, 2010, 00; Science, 335, 2012, 1638). We examined the effect of dietary rapamycin treatment on glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance in the genetically heterogeneous HET3 mouse strain, a strain in which dietary rapamycin robustly extends mean and maximum life span. We find that rapamycin treatment leads to glucose intolerance in both young and old HET3 mice, but in contrast to the previously reported effect of injected rapamycin in C57BL/6 mice, HET3 mice treated with dietary rapamycin responded normally in an insulin tolerance test. To gauge the overall consequences of rapamycin treatment on average blood glucose levels, we measured HBA1c. Dietary rapamycin increased HBA1c over the first 3 weeks of treatment in young animals, but the effect was lost by 3 months, and no effect was detected in older animals. Our results demonstrate that the extended life span of HET3 mice on a rapamycin diet occurs in the absence of major changes in insulin sensitivity and highlight the importance of strain background and delivery method in testing effects of longevity interventions.National Institutes of Health (U.S.)National Institute on Aging (Grant AG 035860)National Institute on Aging (Grant AG 022308)National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant CA 129105)American Federation for Aging Research (Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (National Institute on Aging K00/R00 Award 1K99AG041765-01A1

Computer Games Are Serious Business and so is their Quality: Particularities of Software Testing in Game Development from the Perspective of Practitioners

Over the last several decades, computer games started to have a significant impact on society. However, although a computer game is a type of software, the process to conceptualize, produce and deliver a game could involve unusual features. In software testing, for instance, studies demonstrated the hesitance of professionals to use automated testing techniques with games, due to the constant changes in requirements and design, and pointed out the need for creating testing tools that take into account the flexibility required for the game development process. Goal. This study aims to improve the current body of knowledge regarding software testing in game development and point out the existing particularities observed in software testing considering the development of a computer game. Method. A mixed-method approach based on a case study and an opinion survey was applied to collect quantitative and qualitative data from software professionals regarding the particularities of software testing in game development. Results. We analyzed over 70 messages posted on three well-established network of question-and-answer communities related to software engineering, software testing and game development and received answers of 38 professionals discussing differences between testing a computer game and a general software, and identified important aspects to be observed by practitioners in the process of planning, performing and reporting tests in this context. Conclusion. Considering computer games, software testing must focus not only on the common aspects of a general software, but also, track and investigate issues that could be related to game balance, game physics and entertainment related-aspects to guarantee the quality of computer games and a successful testing process

Deployment of spatial attention towards locations in memory representations: an EEG study

Recalling information from visual short-term memory (VSTM) involves the same neural mechanisms as attending to an actually perceived scene. In particular, retrieval from VSTM has been associated with orienting of visual attention towards a location within a spatially-organized memory representation. However, an open question concerns whether spatial attention is also recruited during VSTM retrieval even when performing the task does not require access to spatial coordinates of items in the memorized scene. The present study combined a visual search task with a modified, delayed central probe protocol, together with EEG analysis, to answer this question. We found a temporal contralateral negativity (TCN) elicited by a centrally presented go-signal which was spatially uninformative and featurally unrelated to the search target and informed participants only about a response key that they had to press to indicate a prepared target-present vs. -absent decision. This lateralization during VSTM retrieval (TCN) provides strong evidence of a shift of attention towards the target location in the memory representation, which occurred despite the fact that the present task required no spatial (or featural) information from the search to be encoded, maintained, and retrieved to produce the correct response and that the go-signal did not itself specify any information relating to the location and defining feature of the target

Direct and indirect links between children’s socio-economic status and education: pathways via mental health, attitude, and cognition

AbstractA child’s socio-economic environment can profoundly affect their development. While existing literature focusses on simplified metrics and pair-wise relations between few variables, we aimed to capture complex interrelationships between several relevant domains using a broad assessment of 519 children aged 7–9 years. Our analyses comprised three multivariate techniques that complimented each other, and worked at different levels of granularity. First, an exploratory factor analysis (principal component analysis followed by varimax rotation) revealed that our sample varied along continuous dimensions of cognition, attitude and mental health (from parallel analysis); with potentially emerging dimensions speed and socio-economic status (passed Kaiser’s criterion). Second, k-means cluster analysis showed that children did not group into discrete phenotypes. Third, a network analysis on the basis of bootstrapped partial correlations (confirmed by both cross-validated LASSO and multiple comparisons correction of binarised connection probabilities) uncovered how our developmental measures interconnected: educational outcomes (reading and maths fluency) were directly related to cognition (short-term memory, number sense, processing speed, inhibition). By contrast, mental health (anxiety and depression symptoms) and attitudes (conscientiousness, grit, growth mindset) showed indirect relationships with educational outcomes via cognition. Finally, socio-economic factors (neighbourhood deprivation, family affluence) related directly to educational outcomes, cognition, mental health, and even grit. In sum, cognition is a central cog through which mental health and attitude relate to educational outcomes. However, through direct relations with all components of developmental outcomes, socio-economic status acts as a great ‘unequaliser’.</jats:p

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Inside Carbon Nanoreactors for Selective Allylic Oxidation of Cyclohexene

The confinement of cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles within hollow carbon nanostructures has been achieved and harnessed to control the oxidation of cyclohexene. Graphitized carbon nanofibers (GNF) have been used as the nanoscale tubular host and filled by sublimation of the Ce(tmhd)4 complex (where tmhd = tetrakis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)) into the internal cavity, followed by a subsequent thermal decomposition to yield the hybrid nanostructure CeO2@GNF, where nanoparticles are preferentially immobilized at the internal graphitic step-edges of the GNF. Control over the size of the CeO2 nanoparticles has been demonstrated within the range of about 4–9 nm by varying the mass ratio of the Ce(tmhd)4 precursor to GNF during the synthesis. CeO2@GNF was effective in promoting the allylic oxidation of cyclohexene in high yield with time-dependent control of product selectivity at a comparatively low loading of CeO2 of 0.13 mol %. Unlike many of the reports to date where ceria catalyzes such organic transformations, we found the encapsulated CeO2 to play the key role of radical initiator due to the presence of Ce3+ included in the structure, with the nanotube acting as both a host, preserving the high performance of the CeO2 nanoparticles anchored at the GNF step-edges over multiple uses, and an electron reservoir, maintaining the balance of Ce3+ and Ce4+ centers. Spatial confinement effects ensure excellent stability and recyclability of CeO2@GNF nanoreactors